Enclosure for coiled garden hose

ABSTRACT

A generally cylindrical garden hose enclosure is carried on an annular base which encircles a sill cock when detachably mounted on the exterior wall of a house. The enclosure cover is cylindrical near the base, and truncated conical at the front, where it terminates in a dispensing opening. The hose is coiled around the inside of the cylindrical chamber, rather than being tightly wrapped around a core, and therefore does not kink and it is hidden from view by the truncated conical part of the cover.

United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,776,262 Fritsch Dec. 4, 1973 [54] ENCLOSURE FOR COILED GARDEN HOSE 2,286,904 6/1942 Ewald 137/355.26 2,609,231 9/1952 Crawford 137 355.12 [76] Invent Fmsch? 17 Mummy 3,208,769 9/1965 Onori mus 5.12 x Salem, NH 3,381,704 5/1968 Richardson 137/355.17 [22] Filed: Ma l. 20, 1972 Primary Examiner-Samuel Scott 1211 Appl 236320 Attorney-Pearson and Pearson 52 US. Cl. 137/355.16, l37/355.26 57 ABSTRACT [51] Cl.- 8651557936 A generally cylindrical garden hose enclosure is can Scarc11.-. 55.12, tied on an annular base whch encircles a cock 137/355 35 when detachably mounted on the exterior wall of a 1 house. The enclosure cover is cylindrical near the [56] References Cited base, and truncated conical at the front, where it ter- UNITED STATES PATENTS minates in a dispensing opening. The hose is coiled 1,532,177 4/1925 Gist l37/355.28 X around the inside of the cylindrical chamber, rather 1,079,717 11/1913 Owen et a1.... 137/355.26 X than being tightly wrapped around a core, and there- 2,334,141 11/1943 Zierden 137/355 28 fore does not and it is from by the 2,696,406 12 1954 Myers 137/355.26 truncated conical part f the Coven 501,489 7/1893 Bowers 137/355.26 2,071,731 2/1937 Craig et a]. l37/355.26 9 Claims, 5 Drawing 33 2.32

I) O 24 \g 0 0 3 8 r 2 I I 1 i A IL J WENTEDBEB 4 I975 3.776262 Fig. 5.

. ENCLOSURE FOR COILED GARDEN HOSE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It has long been the custom to provide circular, skeletonized hose reels, or-semi-circular racks, upon which a garden hose is intended to be neatly wound when not in use. Few householders have the patience to carefully coil a wet, muddy hose in equal convolutions on such racks and certain hoses of plastic tend to kink, to acquire a reverse twist or otherwise to refuse to wind neatly and to hang in a mass of intertwined loops. Many a suburban home can be noted in the summertime with a manicured lawn and hedges, but with a relatively cheap-appearing skeletonized hose rack and hanging hose mounted along the foundation wall to detract from the view.

Typical of skeletonized hose racks in which the coiled hose can be seen and which do not provide a symmetrical, unobtrusive, covering enclosure is the spider-type reel shown in FIG. *3 of U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,996 to Kollmann of Nov. 10, 1959...

Another type hose .reel proposed in the prior art is that disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,334,141 to Zierden of Nov. 9, 1943, wherein the hose is coiled in a cylindrical chamber, but the chamber must either rest on its back or be pressed against the house toprevent the coiled hose from falling out.

Still another proposed solution to the problem is found in US. Pat. No. 1,532,177 to Gist of Apr; 7, 1925 ,swhereina truncated conical cover is mounted on a spider-like base, but the hose is tightly wound around an inner, truncated conical core so that the advantage of loosecoiling around the inside of acylinder is lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In this invention, a garden hose enclosure is provided which is symmetrical, with no projecting parts, and so designed as to be of relatively large diameter but not unduly thick so that it is relatively shallow and broad based and does not project unduly from the wall of a house, but'rather, blends in, when suitably painted, so as to be barely noticeable. The enclosure is preferably of opaque, light weight sheet metal, such as aluminum, with 'a=flanged 'disc base encircling the spigot and spaced from the house, a cylindrical portion adjacent the base and a truncated conical portion adjacent the dispensing opening. The hose may therefore be neatly coiled in the cylindrical compartment and pulled out through the dispensing opening. Drain holes, or notches, are provided, as is a punch-out disc, for the hose in the top of the cover and keyhole'slots in the base for the mounting screws. The base flange seats in a flange recess in the cover against a shoulder and the covers are slightly tapered for nesting during shipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a hose enclosure of the invention mounted on the side wall of a house;

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing, the hose enclosure 20 of the invention is shown mounted on the exterior wall 21 of a house, near the line of the foundation 22 and preferably encircling the sill cock 23. Enclosure 20 is preferably spun from a single piece of light weight metal, such as aluminum, although it may be made of plastic orany other suitable material. Enclosure 20 includes the unitary cover 24 having a large rearward end opening 25 facing the wall 21, a small forward end opening 26, a cylindrical rearward chamber 27 adjacent opening 25, and a truncated conicalforward chamber28 adjacent forward opening 26, the axis of cover 24 being horizontal.

Preferably, cover 24 has a bead 29 around the rim of the dispensing opening26, a punch-out disc 31 in the upper portion to receive a hose in certain installations, and an enlarged diameter recess, or rim, 32, terminating in a shoulder 33 extending around. the large rearward opening 25. Drain holes 34 are also provided in the bottom of the cover, and the side wall 35 tapers a distance approximately equal to its thickness to enable a stack of covers to nest within each other forstorage or shipment.

An annular base 37 forms a closure for the large opening 25 and preferably comprisesa flat, planar annular plate 38, having a central opening 39 encircling the spigot 23, and a peripheral flange 41 extending rearwardly'and normal thereto to space the enclosure from the wall. The peripheral flange 41 is firmly seated within the peripheral cover recess 32 and abuts the shoulder 33, the cover and flange being peripherally connected by the bolts 42.

Base 32 includes a pair of keyhole slots 43 for the mounting screws 44 and includes notches 45 at the bottom for drainage.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in another embodiment the cover 50 may have a radially projecting flange 51, peripherally connected to the annular base 52, and the base 52 may have an integral cylindrical member 53 projecting forwardly therefrom, but terminating at a spaced distance inside the dispensing opening -54. The member 53 is hollow-cylindrical to encircle a sill cock and forms a hollow-cylindrical hose compartmentwith the cylindrical portion of the cover. The projecting flange 51 is provided with mounting apertures 55 so that it can be detachably affixed to a wall by screws or nails, without a base, or may be detachably affixed to the base, as shown, in the base affixed to the wall.

I claim:

1. A hose enclosure for use on theexterior wall of a dwelling, said enclosure comprising:

a one-piece cover, adapted to conceal and support a coiled garden hose connected to a sill cock on said wall, said cover having a substantially cylindrical rearward portion adjacent a. large rearward end opening, an inside face on said portion, a frustro conical forward portion adjacenta smaller forward end opening, and a central axis; and

an annular base, forming a closure for said large opening, and detachably connected peripherally to said cover, said base having a central opening for fitting over and receiv-ing said sill cock;

said base supporting said cover with said axis normal to said wall, so that a garden hose, coiled against the inside of said cylindrical rearward portion, is

concealed by said frustro conical forward portion, but may be freely dis-pensed through said smaller forward end opening.

2. A hose enclosure as specified in Claim 1, wherein:

said base comprises a flat, planar plate containing said central opening, said plate hav-ing an integral peripheral flange normal thereto;

said flange fitting within the large rearward opening of said cover and spacing said base a predetermined distance from said wall.

3. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 1, wherein:

said base includes a peripheral flange and said cover includes an enlarged rim extending around the large opening therein for seating said flange.

4. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 1, wherein:

said base includes a peripheral flange seated within the large opening of said cover, said cover and flange each include drain holes at the bottom thereof, and said cover includes a punch-out disc at the top thereof to receive a hose.

5. A base enclosure as specified in claim 1:

plus an integral hollow, open-ended, cylindrical member projecting forwardly from said base, and forming an annular hose compartment with said substantially cylindrical rearward portion of said cover for receiving a coiled hose.

6. A hose enclosure for mounting on the exterior wall of a house, comprising:

a relatively shallow, broad based, unitary cover of generally cylindrical configuration in the rearward portion and of truncated conical configuration in the forward portion, said cover having a large rearward opening adapted to face said wall and extending in a direction away from said wall to termin-ate in a smaller forward opening; and

flat, planar, annular base means detachably mounting said cover on the wall of a house, with said rearward opening encircling a sill cock, and said smaller forward opening in a vertical plane;

said cover being free of side wall hose openings and being adapted to receive the convolutions of a hose connected to said sill cock, coiled around the inside of said cylindrical rearward portion, and to dispense said hose through said truncated conical portion and forward opening.

7. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 6, wherein:

said means for detachably mounting said cover is an integral, annular flange extending around said large opening and having mounting apertures therein.

8. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 6, wherein:

said means for detachably mounting said cover is a dished annular base, fitting within said large opening, said base having a central opening therein encircling said sill cock and having keyhole mounting apertures therein.(

9. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 6, wherein:

said means for mounting said cover includes an enlarged peripheral recess around said large opening, terminating in a shoulder,

an annular base having a rearwardly projecting flange seated in said recess up to said shoulder, and

means detachably affixing said cover to said base flange. 

1. A hose enclosure for use on the exterior wall of a dwelling, said enclosure comprising: a one-piece cover, adapted to conceal and support a coiled garden hose connected to a sill cock on said wall, said cover having a substantially cylindrical rearward portion adjacent a large rearward end opening, an inside face on said portion, a frustro conical forward portion adjacent a smaller forward end opening, and a central axis; and an annular base, forming a closure for said large opening, and detachably connected peripherally to said cover, said base having a central opening for fitting over and receiv-ing said sill cock; said base supporting said cover with said axis normal to said wall, so that a garden hose, coiled against the inside of said cylindrical rearward portion, is concealed by said frustro conical forward portion, but may be freely dis-pensed through said smaller forward end opening.
 2. A hose enclosure as specified in Claim 1, wherein: said base comprises a flat, planar plate containing said central opening, said plate haV-ing an integral peripheral flange normal thereto; said flange fitting within the large rearward opening of said cover and spacing said base a predetermined distance from said wall.
 3. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 1, wherein: said base includes a peripheral flange and said cover includes an enlarged rim extending around the large opening therein for seating said flange.
 4. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 1, wherein: said base includes a peripheral flange seated within the large opening of said cover, said cover and flange each include drain holes at the bottom thereof, and said cover includes a punch-out disc at the top thereof to receive a hose.
 5. A base enclosure as specified in claim 1: plus an integral hollow, open-ended, cylindrical member projecting forwardly from said base, and forming an annular hose compartment with said substantially cylindrical rearward portion of said cover for receiving a coiled hose.
 6. A hose enclosure for mounting on the exterior wall of a house, comprising: a relatively shallow, broad based, unitary cover of generally cylindrical configuration in the rearward portion and of truncated conical configuration in the forward portion, said cover having a large rearward opening adapted to face said wall and extending in a direction away from said wall to termin-ate in a smaller forward opening; and flat, planar, annular base means detachably mounting said cover on the wall of a house, with said rearward opening encircling a sill cock, and said smaller forward opening in a vertical plane; said cover being free of side wall hose openings and being adapted to receive the convolutions of a hose connected to said sill cock, coiled around the inside of said cylindrical rearward portion, and to dispense said hose through said truncated conical portion and forward opening.
 7. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 6, wherein: said means for detachably mounting said cover is an integral, annular flange extending around said large opening and having mounting apertures therein.
 8. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 6, wherein: said means for detachably mounting said cover is a dished annular base, fitting within said large opening, said base having a central opening therein encircling said sill cock and having keyhole mounting apertures therein.
 9. A hose enclosure as specified in claim 6, wherein: said means for mounting said cover includes an enlarged peripheral recess around said large opening, terminating in a shoulder, an annular base having a rearwardly projecting flange seated in said recess up to said shoulder, and means detachably affixing said cover to said base flange. 